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Just add Olive Oil – surprise beauty secrets

While most people think of olive oil as healthy to eat or cook with, its high concentration of mono-unsaturated fats, anti-inflammatory agents, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins make it a perfect natural beauty remedy as well. There really are endless uses for Olive Oil but here are just a few we do around our house.

1. Moisturizer: Slathering on olive oil feels more concentrated than a lotion and it doesn’t absorb as quickly but if you have a little extra time, Parthena penetrates deeply to regenerate cells and soften the tissue. It contains the same healthy fats as avocado, which can plump lips and moisturize the skin with its combination of vitamin E and vitamin A. Apply daily to notoriously dry areas, such as feet and elbows, especially after showering. It’s also known to lessen the appearance of acne scars. If you prefer a specific scent you can easily add scent with a few drops of essential oil, Lavender is amazing.

2. Shaving: using oil for shaving is an excellent and effective way to shave facial and other body hair. The shave is a little more sticky and there’s less glide but clean up is easy and EVOO leaves the skin soft and dewy. Rub in an extra teaspoon after washing. Just be careful, using oil in the shower makes for a slippery floor!

3. Body Scrub: This is a favorite in our house. Apply olive oil to skin then scrub with sugar or coarse salt, and rinse. Or, mix one part EVOO, one part sea salt, and a couple drops of essential oil (lavender recommended). Mix to create an old world paste that smells good, feels good, costs pennies per application, and leaves your skin feeling amazing.

4. Ear Wax Softener: You can use olive oil alone or with water irrigation to remove wax from your ears. It is recommended that you use three drops of olive oil in the affected ear each day for three to four days. Place room-temperature drops of olive oil in the ears with an eye dropper in the evening right before going to bed; lying in bed on your side allows the oil to penetrate the wax more deeply. Use a bulb syringe to spray warm water gently into the ear on the day following the last treatment to encourage the lubricated wax to fall from the ear, if necessary.

5. Hair & Scalp Masque: If the change of season is causing dry hair or scalp, transfer some EVOO into a plastic bottle and place it in a bowl of hot water. Massage a generous amount of heated oil into scalp and hair and wrap hair in a heated towel or sit under a dryer for 10-15 minutes. Rinse hair thoroughly with a mild shampoo.

6. Cuticle Softener: Rub a bit of EVOO into the cuticles to moisturize and prevent snags, or mix oil with water to soak hands before a DIY manicure.

7. Makeup Remover: A few drops of extra virgin olive oil on a cotton ball or pad go a long way to remove makeup and impurities. Wipe face in a circular motion. Take extra precaution around the eye: place the cotton pad against your closed eye for 10 seconds and gently wipe. Its easy and excellent for your skin!

8. Massage lotion: Enjoy a nice relaxing massage while your skin reaps the benefits of Parthena. You can use just straight EVOO our you can add an essential oil. Everyone in our house has a favorite ESO they like added, my favorite is a little bit of peppermint!

9. Calm red and irritated skin: Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to your running bath water. In addition, you can add 1 teaspoon of lavender oil to a bath to help with relaxation. The olive oil makes your skin very smooth and has shown to reduce wrinkles over time. But makes for a slippery surface so be careful.

10. Relieve sunburn. This is a life saver for us as soon as we hit Greece. Mix olive oil with white vinegar and apply before a warm bath to soothe and heal the burn. You can also rub olive oil straight or mixed with Tea Tree Oil onto the sunburn to prevent peeling.

Hope you find these tips helpful! Its a great way to know exactly what you are using on your skin. Stay tuned for more beauty secrets!